GRATITUDE BLOOMING FOR FAMILIES
We created this experience for anyone who could use more stillness, beauty and inspiration in their lives. It’s our wish that the gratitude cards, reflections and family activities together will help you deepen your relationship with your family members and the world around you. Getting started is easy! Here’s how to do it:
There are 39 reflection cards in the Gratitude Blooming deck, each featuring a plant, flower or tree, along with a corresponding theme.
You may choose a card by reviewing the images and themes and choosing one that inspires you. You may also wish to shuffle them, place them face down and spread them out, choosing one at random.
You can choose one card as a family, or invite your children to choose their own cards.
Once you’ve chosen a card, review the reflection included in this booklet, and read it out loud to your child.
To explore each theme at a deeper level, we’ve also included a corresponding family activity with each prompt. Enjoy engaging in these activities with your child when time allows!
The more you can make your gratitude practice a consistent habit for you and your family, the greater the benefits – in fact, research indicates that a regular practice of gratitude can lower stress levels and lead to more optimism and happiness. Here are a few ideas on how you can use the cards to incorporate gratitude into your family’s daily life:
Draw cards with your family each day. You could choose to do this in the morning over breakfast, establishing a particular theme for you each to explore throughout your day, or in the evening, as a reflection question at the dinner table or before bedtime.
Choose a time each week when you can explore a theme in more depth with one of the family activities. For example, you may wish to designate a little time each weekend to dive more deeply into gratitude together.
As a family, discuss and agree upon a particular gratitude theme you’d like to engage with on special occasions, such as holidays or vacations, or even on a simple family adventure, like a hike in the woods. Use the theme to determine how you’d like to approach that particular event, and commit to reviewing how the theme was present during your special occasion afterwards.
Liz Kelly, co-creator of the Gratitude Blooming Activity Booklet for Families, shares her experience using the activities.